7 Life Quotes to Jolt Your Perspective on Work

The “Jolt” Concept

Dan Pink is one of the world’s leading business thinkers and authors. He says we can all jolt our perspectives in varying degrees by doing things for the first time. For example:

A big jolt would be doing something engrossing, like taking a trip abroad to explore a new country and culture for the first time.

A medium jolt could be trying something new that leaves you vulnerable, like auditioning for Community Theater without any acting experience.

A small jolt would be a slight deviation from your norm, like taking a different route home from work or ordering something new at your “regular” restaurant.

Dan says that these jolts expose us to new experiences, which, in turn, provide us with a fresh perspective, a new lens through which to see our surroundings. Reading, of course, can achieve similar results.

Reading quotes, specifically, is an efficient way to shift your perspective for a few reasons:

We like the immediate gratification: Digestible chunks of wisdom rev our imagination, which can give us a burst of motivation.

We are aspirational: Being social animals, humans gravitate towards leadership. To some degree, we like being told what to do by people we respect.

We naturally self-select: We’re drawn to what we can relate to, whether it’s a problem we’re eager to assuage or something positive we’re excited to reinforce.